Mafia Crackdown

Has relentless prosecution fatally weakened the U.S. Mafia?

Introduction

Belonging to the Mafia, America's most powerful organized crime group, seems to grow riskier by the day. Thanks to aggressive prosecutors and high-level turncoats, dozens of mob bigwigs in cities across the country have been convicted and sentenced to long prison terms in recent years. John Gotti of New York, reputedly the top Mafia boss still in power, will face a similar fate if the verdict is guilty in his current trial on murder and racketeering charges. But while some law enforcement officials say the mob has been grievously weakened, others point to its past resilience. If the mob does succumb, other organized crime groups like the Colombian drug cartels, Chinese Triads and even outlaw biker gangs could move into the Mafia's traditional turf.

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles